Fall Sun Protection

As the leaves change colors and the weather turns cooler, your skin also changes with the new season. After spending the past few months outdoors enjoying the summer sun, you may notice that your skin has developed sun damage and more visible signs of aging like freckles, melasma, sun spots, fine lines and wrinkles. Your skin is drier and more sensitive as the temperature drops and fluctuates. Your skin is still vulnerable to UVA rays because the UV index may continue to be high despite cooler temps.

Seasons may come and go, but your skin care and sun protection routine are both equally important. Here are some tips on how to give your skin the sun protection it needs.

5 Fall Sun Protection Tips:

Continue to use your SPF 30+ broad spectrum sunscreen on a daily basis. Find a sunscreen that provides the best protection for your skin type and one that you can use every day. Even though you are at less risk of getting a sunburn, your skin still receives sun damage. Shop for affordable and high-quality sunscreens here.

Cover-up when you can. (Life hack) Wear a UPF 50+ sun shirt as a layer when the temperatures are cooler.

Moisturize after showers or hand washing. Moisturizer is the key to soft, supple skin in cooler months. Apply product when skin is slightly damp. For best effect, pat skin dry instead of rubbing with your towel before application.

Exfoliate on a weekly or semi-weekly basis. Moisturizer is much more effective on properly exfoliated skin. Use a scrub in the shower and exfoliate facial skin with a mild scrub made for the face. It’s best to scrub skin when it’s dry. Apply scrub to dry skin before you turn on the water (mix with lotion if it’s not moist enough). Massage the scrub in for a good five minutes for best results.

Consider taking fish oil pills. New studies show omega-3 fish oil pills may soothe super dry skin. Patients who took fish oils pills in a study reported in Allure magazine, saw significant results within a few weeks. “You can see, within six weeks, the skin, hair and nails improve markedly,” according to skin expert Dr. Andrew Weil in Allure.

It’s important to stay proactive with your sun protection regimen and encourage children to continue with their sun protection routine throughout the year as well. Continuous protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays is important because the intensity of UVA rays doesn’t matter across the seasons; it’s the same level of UVA if you’re on a sunny beach or spending the day outside on a cloudy day. They penetrate clouds and glass, reflect off of sand, snow and other surfaces. UVA damage is cumulative and goes deep into the dermis of your skin so that over time you will notice the effects of skin damage (fine lines and wrinkles) and skin cancer.